...and I am certain you are all familiar with "Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails" by Ted "Dr Cocktail" Haigh? Where else could one find the recipe for the Monkey Gland? This little tome is the only equal in research and art to Sippin' Safari.

What BigBro said; Ted Haigh's book is the right and proper vintage cocktail book to place beside your Beachbum tomes.

The next most-often-referred-to book on my road to ruin is Gary Regan's _Joy of Mixology_. This book gives provenance to a lot of classic recipes, and Gary tells you where, how and why he may have adjusted them and where YOU should adjust them to your own taste. He also includes charts that are invaluable; if you've ever become confused when browsing recipes, these charts organize things wonderfully.

I just got it for TWO CENTS plus $3.99 shipping. Total cost - $4.01. It was listed as "used" but in "very good" condition. Will have to see how it really looks when it gets here. But these online book sellers are usually very accurate.

On 2007-10-19 16:52, bigbrotiki wrote:...and I am certain you are all familiar with "Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails" by Ted "Dr Cocktail" Haigh? Where else could one find the recipe for the Monkey Gland? This little tome is the only equal in research and art to Sippin' Safari.

Just got mine ("expanded edition") after what seemed like a three month wait for them to come back in stock. Truly an amazing book with lots of good explanations and research. I plan on reading it cover-to-cover and can already tell that I would recommend this book to anyone who is new to the art of cocktails.
_________________I need to spend more time in my bar and less time posting on Tiki Central...

I realize I'm only five years late to contribute to this topic but I also vote for the 1972 Trader Vic's Bartender's Guide as a great source of Tiki cocktails. He reveals around 170 of his own recipes along with a thousand or so others. I've read others complain that he references Trader Vic brand mixers but I found that only to be true for the Navy Grog mix, which is proprietary. Even so, others on this board have come up with a decent substitution for it.

Don't you wish Donn Beach had bothered to publish his recipes? Well the Trader did and it is still available! I enjoy all the Beachbum Berry books and the Trader's is right up there with them in my opinion.